Howard claims primary is changing Pileggi’s priorities

CHESTER — The GOP primary challenger to state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, Roger Howard of East Marlborough, this week accused his opponent of changing his priorities because he’s faced with an election challenge.

“In public speaking events in the winter, Dominic Pileggi shared his legislative agenda would focus on rewriting the library code and getting red light cameras in Chester,” Howard said in a statement this week. “That all changed when faced with a Primary challenge for the first time in his tenure as State Senator.”

“Recently, the Senate passed legislation requiring photo identification for voting,” the statement said. “It’s only common sense to ensure the integrity of the vote and this issue has remained among the most important for true Conservatives. It only became important enough for Pileggi to push for legislation after the Primary challenge was raised.”

Howard accused the senator, who serves as Majority Leader for the state Senate, of pandering to conservatives, claiming he was suddenly worried about support from the right.

“The timing for this type of legislative action is curious,” Howard said. “Take for example Pileggi’s touting of an examination of RACP, which has yet to see a real bill brought to the Senate floor. While RACP is being examined, however, hundreds of millions of taxpayer-funded checks have already been cashed by big contributors to Pileggi’s campaign. In this Primary, it is the voters who will be examining Pileggi’s record in voting to raise the debt ceiling for RACP to over $4 billion dollars.”

“(I) will go to Harrisburg to address tough issues from the first day he is in office,” Howard said in a statement. “Unlike (my) opponent Pileggi, who only puts forth lukewarm legislation to garner votes in an election season.”